This blog documents my life in the Mormon church, my escape from it, and my transition into atheism. This is a place for ex-Mormons to share their thoughts and experiences, to discuss current Mormon issues, and for those people in the church who may be doubting their faith or feeling that something is not quite right. Comments are welcome from all points of view.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Temple Square Homeless

The last thing I would ever expect to find is a homeless person on the sidewalks just outside the gates of Temple Square. Or if there was a beggar, you would not expect them to be there very long.

According to scripture, which the Mormons profess to believe, if you reject a beggar, you are rejecting Christ. Oops! Yesterday I watched as dozens of Mormons walked right past a beggar who has been on that location begging for a long time. I would say for at least a year I have driven by Temple Square and seen this particular person.

Mormons walk past not giving her anything. I am sure some give her pocket change. But really, they are willing to give 10% to Jesus' church, but nothing to Jesus himself. I guess they justify it by rationalizing that they give to the fast offering fund. The problem with that is that the church decides who they will help. My opinion is that the Bishops Storehouse appears to be a charity but it really is PR, a tax write off, and missionary effort.

So I watch as this person holds a sign reading: "HOMELESS. Please Help." I watch as droves of Mormons ignore her as they walk past on their way to the temple. I see dozens of hypocrites who profess to love Jesus so much but then flat out reject him when they are put to the test.

Matt. 25: 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

There even used to be a sign posted right there, which must have been removed because... it's gone! The sign, posted by the church, said something to the effect of: "Please do not give any money to beggars." Wow. No wonder they took it down. Someone must have called them on their hypocrisy.

I would expect to see someone needing help and the good, Christ fearing Mormons would take that person in and help them get back on their feet. There should be no homeless on the sidewalks of Temple Square; not because they need to leave, but because the true church and it's believers would take them in and help them out.

But the church posts signs and the members walk past without even giving the beggar a glance. Something is terribly wrong with this picture.

James 2:15-1615 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?

Just another evil apostate...

***UPDATE***

Due to a comment from Lisbun, stating in part, "you do not indicate yourself, whether or not you give to the "poor". ", I will respond by telling a parable.

There was an old, scruffy looking man. This man was very kind but because he stank and had an unattractive outward appearance, no one wanted to be around him. This man lived in a neighborhood densely populated by Mormons.

Just a few houses up the street, lived another man. This man was clean cut and shaven. This man used to be Mormon and no longer believed anything about the church. He was an apostate.

When the scruffy old man went to the local bishop and asked for help moving, the ward refused to help him. The evil apostate, living just a few houses away was the only person who ultimately helped his neighbor move. The apostate gave many, many hours of selfless service to his scruffy neighbor as good, faithful Mormons stood by watching. There was one other person who helped a little. This person was Catholic.

Who was this man's neighbor? The faithful Mormons who wouldn't lift a finger, or the evil apostate who was the only one who would help?

This is a true story and the evil apostate in this story is me. It's pretty sad when an evil apostate and a Catholic have to set the example for all the righteous Mormons.

2 comments:

You have very naive and twisted views of the church's perspective. But since you do not fully see both sides of the story, your own hypocrisy is not evident in your blog as you do not indicate yourself, whether or not you give to the "poor". I'm sorry to see the loss of great people to simple sins. Testimonies do not grow from doubt, but the effort put into really knowing its true.Love and Peace to you.

Oh really? Please enlighten me. I guess being a member for the first 30 years of my life doesn't mean anything?

"But since you do not fully see both sides of the story,".

Again, having been an official member ever since I was 8 years old and a strong believer, I think I see perfectly well both sides of the story.

"your own hypocrisy is not evident in your blog as you do not indicate yourself, whether or not you give to the "poor"."

Matt. 6:2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

"I'm sorry to see the loss of great people to simple sins."

Where, anywhere in my blog did I say I left because of a sin? I left because I discovered the lies, falsehoods, and plain out evidence that everything they claim is false.

"Testimonies do not grow from doubt, but the effort put into really knowing its true."

I'm not really sure what you mean by this, but I did put in effort. I put the tithing promise to the test and I got NOTHING. Believe me, I put in the effort. I fulfilled callings, went on a mission, married in the temple, everything.

I've always asked the question, why do you have to put "effort" into believing something, especially if that something claims to be the absolute truth? Shouldn't the truth be blaringly obvious and stand on it's own? Why do I need to put effort into something that is soooo true? I finally realized that I don't. Truth should stand on it's own, and if it doesn't stand, then it isn't true. It's very simple.

If you'd like to engage me further, you are welcome. Just try not to jump to so many conclusions about me. If you knew me in person, you would see that I am very friendly and kind and I am very willing to help anyone in need, if I have the ability and/or resources to do so.

Fanatical Christian Websites

Quotes & Thoughts

New Rule: Churches don't get to offer their commentary on political matters until they start paying taxes!

"...reading the Bible is what has made me an Atheist." ~ The Citizen Atheist

Faith is just gullibility. ~ The Atheist Experience

Don't teach creationism in my school and I won't preach evolution in your church!

In your fiction book, your fiction god did a fiction miracle and that's all the proof you need!

"It's called FAITH because it is not KNOWLEDGE" ~ Christopher Hitchens

"...faith, by definition, is believing in things without evidence and, personally, I don't do that because I'm not an idiot." ~Kate Smurthwaite

"If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people." ~House

"Developing a critical mind and having your own view of the world takes education, reflection and time. Having faith is much easier. People prefer to be deceived." ~Michael Shermer

"It's hard to free fools from the chains they revere." ~ Voltaire

"Just because you don't understand something, it doesn't mean it's wrong." Arthur, Sword in the Stone

A diety who remains silent and invisible should not be angry or surprised when its existance is doubted.

Intelligent Design: Because it's so much easier to just invent an answer.

99% of people who DENY evolution can't even DEFINE it!

If money is the root of all evil, why do churches want it?

The Bible was written by the same people who said the earth was flat.

When you don't see the truth, it's easy to accept the illusion.

What most anti-evolution supporters don’t realize is that to nearly anyone educated in biological sciences, an anti-evolution world view today is almost equal to holding a position that the Earth is flat, and the sun revolves around the Earth.

There once was a time when all people believed in God and the church ruled. This time was called the Dark Ages.

"Does religion work? It brings some of us solace, impels some to do good (and others to fly planes into buildings), and buttresses the same moral truths embraced by atheists, but does it help us better understand our world or our universe? Hardly." ~ USA Today

Mormonism is enforced religion.

"What's so merciful about a god who punishes Adam and Eve and all of their descendants over a stupid piece of fruit?" ~ Khalid Thalib

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for a reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed" ~ Albert Einstein

Isn't it ironic that both you and your god hate the same things?

"Santa Claus never asked for 10% and I still got everything I wanted. And I wasn't good all the time either. I paid the Mormon church 10% and got zip." ~ Let Go

"For god was such a cowardly chicken shit, that he had to send someone else to do the hard stuff." Mormon411

"The good thing about Atheists is they wont knock on your door and they wont blow you up!" ~ Bumper Sticker

"I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." ~ Stephen Roberts

"You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?" ~ Dan Barker, Losing Faith in Faith

"Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

"Philosophy is questions that may never be answered. Religion is answers that may never be questioned." ~ Unknown

"To the simple mind everything can be explained with one three letter word." ~ Michael Pain

"The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion." ~John Adams, 2nd President of the United States

A watered down long island iced tea: $7.00. A lap dance from your favorite girl: $20.00. Feeling absolutely no guilt for any of it: Priceless!

"I have a hard time with historians, because historians idolize the truth." ~ Boyd K. Packer

"...if God told us to brush our teeth with mud I would do it." ~ Anon TBM

Some of you are probably thinking, "Why don't you just leave them (the Mormons) alone?" So I ask you, if you saw a thirsty man drinking water from a well you knew to be poisoned, would you let him continue to drink or would you guide him to a safe well? ~ Christopher Miller

"Just as you can always tell sea water because it tastes salty, you can always recognize enlightenment because it tastes like freedom." ~ The Buddah

"What have I got to lose? My family? No. They are already gone. They were gone as soon as I was gone from their "family oriented" church." ~ ex-Mormon

"He (Joseph Smith) may get drunk every day of his life, sleep with his neighbor's wife every night, run horses and gamble... but the doctrine he has produced will save you and me and the whole world." ~ Will Jarvis

"My most painful Mormon experience was learning that having faith in something does not necessarily make it true." ~ Anon

"The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction." ~Richard Dawkins

"If a faith will not bear to be investigated; if its preachers and professors are afraid to have it examined, their foundation must be very weak." ~George Albert Smith

Prayer: How to do nothing and still think you're helping.

"Being an atheist means you've been able to see through the social pressure, black balling, guilt trips, propaganda, threats against your eternal soul, etc. and be a rational person in an otherwise irrational age. We think that's something to be proud of." ~The Arrogant Atheist

"Every member a missionary? Every member a revenue generator" ~Brian, ex-Mormon

"I love god. He's so deliciously evil!" ~Stewie Griffin

"We met in a little place called the MTC... If you don't know what the MTC is, then you're not cool." ~April Fenn, LDS church member

"Each of us has to face the matter—either the Church is true, or it is a fraud. There is no middle ground. It is the Church and kingdom of God, or it is nothing." ~Gordon B. Hinckley

What's the difference between a teenager and a Mormon? Eventually the teenager will realize that he doesn't know everything.

"How we treat others is a measure of what we think of ourselves" ~Sharon Bower

Atheists have morals too.

If complexity necessitates a creator, wouldn't our creator also need a creator?

Santa Clause is to children as Jesus Christ is to adults.

"If you are truly searching for the truth, then you must be prepared to admit that you don't already have it." ~Myself as a former LDS missionary

"It's impossible to reach good conclusions with bad information...We're all entitled to our own opinions, but none of us can afford to be wrong in our facts." ~Mort Crim

"...it's not a lie if you believe it." ~George Castanza

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